SIA FANG
CURATOR: Ella Johnson
https://www.instagram.com/ellavaughnjohnson/
If you were to fuse Shakespeare's Titania with modern technology, the result would be Sia Fang's whimsical futuristic-fairy utopian creations. Sia Fang's designs are eccentric, ultramodern, and wild. Sia Fang is a Chinese multidisciplinary artist and student at Parsons.
Fang is also co-founder of Aura Digital. Inc which she describes as “technology aimed to transform emotions into visuals and conversations into art that could be cherished and preserved.” Fang's fascination with both human emotions and technology spills into her work as a fashion student and gives her work its own distinctive identity.
Perhaps it's her tech background that's accountable for the mathematical lines and calculated shapes within her work. “Serenity and Serendipity”- shows Fang's impressive pattern-cutting abilities as well as inventiveness. Each intricate cut-out allows the canvas fabric to take on a more voluminous and whimsical shape while maintaining a clear structure that accentuates the model.
And if you are like me, your eyes will be caught by Fang’s utopic visuals in “Disguise in Nature”. An assembly of shapes and textures from flowing tulle to rigid bone forms five different looks in the collection- my favorite is look 4. A pink asymmetrical plastic bodice is hung off the model, the shoulders span out into bird-like fossil wings. And at the waist, a tightly wrapped bundle of opaque fabric cocoons the model. All together forming something of a quixotic futuristic garden fairy.
Being a multidisciplinary artist, Fang's work across other mediums is just as captivating, her collection: “Escapism to Amore Fati '' is accompanied by a 3-minute video. Each of the three looks in the collection is composed of delicate strings woven intricately to create abstract shapes around each of the models.
Set apart from the crowd by her technological adeptness, Fang's work is one of a kind, you can find it on her Instagram @whereissiafang. Or on her feature on thevanillaissue Instagram page here.
ARTIST:
https://www.instagram.com/whereissiafang/
https://sia-fang.com/
PHOTOGRAPHER(S):
Honglin Cai
https://www.instagram.com/vcai_photo/
Ashley Zhang
https://www.instagram.com/ashl.eyz/
Where are you from?
I am from China and I am currently based in New York.
What encouraged you to pursue design as a career?
My mission is to bridge the world of fine art and fashion, Innovation in materially and Sensitivity in humanity with a design state of mind.
How would you describe your style as a designer?
feminine and sensitive. metaphorical and realistic.
What are some of the key inspirations that influence your work?
real life experience and human beings, nature from travels.
How did your experience in (school/interning) forge your progression as a
designer?
To meet inspiring figures that bring in new aspects in what I do, motivate my work with their excellency.
What excites you about fashion?
How there is so much bubbles in the added value of this industry but how it keeps going up and accelerate the bubbles just because people believe in the fantasy and constructed version of “self" that they would have never seen without fashion.
If you could dress anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
I do not see my pieces to be dressed on anybody as the ornament, instead, I see the ones wearing my pieces as the ornament.
We are seeing a revolution in the way fashion is done. For example, brands are increasingly focused on digital mediums to share their work as a result of the pandemic. What is something specific you would change about the industry?
more room for customized, tailored experience instead of mass production.
What are the ways you are tackling sustainability as a brand, and how does that fit into your creative process?
maximizing the usage of digital tools in order to increase the productivity.
How is our modern world shaping the future of fashion? Where do we go from here?
We have seen a variety of things in fashion, therefore we are going into a more multidisciplinary approach to achieve multi-sensory outcomes in fashion.
How important is sustainable/ethically made fashion and where does that fit in terms of your own design process?
It has little to do with my work since my pieces are more of “one of each” artwork.
How important is size inclusivity to you, as well are shifting beauty standards?
All bodies serve the same experience interacting with my garments.
What should we hope to see from you in the next few years?
I do not plan to mass produce any of my pieces in the future. I see them existing solely in the galleries, at the exhibitions but also I see them serving as costumes for films and shows. I would also see them working around the bodies of some inspiring figures and complements my aesthetic and vision. I want them to celebrate different things in the art world but also being celebrated by different things and individuals. Eventually you will see exhibitions, runway shows, production projects and collaborations with the name of Sia Fang at very different places but still remaining the integrity of the escapist fantasy world that I create based on the reality.
